Responding to the Wii Essay

Kazuo Hirai, the chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) has encountered two large rivals in the video game industry this year. Nintendo and Microsoft have released advanced video game consoles that have left Sony sales behind. Nintendo especially, has broken the status quo for marketing in the video game industry by dramatically expanding its target market from 18-34 year-olds to 9-65 year-olds both male and female with its new video game console, the Wii. For years, Sony had gone head to head with Microsoft competing for the same market with their PSPs and X-Boxes consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft focused on using advanced technology to create cutting edge video game consoles whose purpose was more than just video games. Their target market was 18-19 year old males. On the other hand, the Wii is not as advanced as the PSP or X-Box. Its main attraction are its wireless, motion-sensing controllers that allow gamers to use their limbs (punching, swinging, batting) to control the actions of on-screen characters. Also, the Wii was designed with user- friendly capabilities that appeal to all audiences. Nintendo is threatening competition for Sony. There are five main forces that drive Video Game Industry competition: * Intensity of rivalry among Competitors * Threat of New Entrants * Threat of Substitutes * Bargaining Power of Suppliers * Bargaining Power of Buyers Strategic Issues Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors One of Sony’s largest threat and competitor is Nintendo. Nintendo sold 32.4 million units for the Wii, while Sony sold 15.5 million units. While Sony was occupied retaliating to Microsoft’s X-box video game console, Nintendo rose to take number one position in the video game industry. In 2007, Sony lost 9.7% of its Operating Margin, while Nintendo was up to 58.8% in millions of dollars. This is an important issue because Sony has been at the top of the industry for many years and is now suddenly is losing capital. Currently in the Video Game industry rivalry and competition is really intense. In Sony’s case, it is the way Nintendo’s Wii console is appealing to all audiences that has affected Sony the most. With Sony only reaching out to a closed market, it is difficult to increase sales. Also, Sony has to keep up working on new technology for the PSP to overcome Microsoft’s X-box. If Sony does not step up its g ame, then soon it will be left behind and sales will hit the floor. Threat of New Entrants Sony’s second rival in sales is Microsoft and their video game console, the X-box 360. Microsoft threatens to take control of the gaming market of 18-35 year olds. Microsoft brought out the new X-box live that allows players to play online with players from all over the world while video chatting with them at the same time. If Sony does not address the issue with the Wii, and does not improve sells, Microsoft could take over Sony’s target market. This force is moderately strong, and is another threat to Sony. Threat of Substitutes In Sony’s case, if Sony does not respond to the Wii or X-box and loses its target market new entrant s might join the video game industry to take advantage of the lack of motivation from Sony and their target market. Sony needs to make sure it keeps their current target market by providing improved technology and new games. If not, then there could be a possibility that new competitors come into play and take Sony’s position as lead video game provider for 18-35 gamers. Also, Nintendo could just take over the whole Video Game industry. Although, this force is not very strong it can definitely happen, especially with Sony’s sales loss. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Currently, Sony is not being affected by the bargaining power of suppliers. However, the companies that it does work with (Toshiba and IBM) could refuse to manufacture new products for Sony if they feel they are taking a risk based on Sony’s drop in sales. For example when Microsoft joined the Video Game Industry it attempted to do things differently, like not charging royalties to third parties, thus third party console makers declined to manufacture x-boxes. This is also a moderate force that must be kept on check because whatever Sony’s decision is to do in respond to the Wii, Sony will have to go to these third parties to manufacture the new ideas. Bargaining Power of Buyers For Sony, there is not a lot of bargaining power from buyers. The issue is that its market is not as large as Nintendo’s. This force is not an immediate threat to Sony but rather would happen in a case where a company was forced to reduce the price of its video game console to please its market. The main issue in the Video Industry is not the cost of the product but rather the quality and popularity amongst the market. Recommendations Of all these five forces that drive Video Game industry competition, the strongest forces are the intensity of rivals and threat of new entrants. Sony should not try to compete with Nintendo for the market, but should instead focus on its strongest facets in order to keep pleasing their current target market. Sony has become very popular amongst its target market and if it is not focused it can become weak and lose its market. If this happens then Microsoft would take Sony’s position and market and have no other main competitors. If Sony can improve sales by pleasing its target market, then the other four forces can be avoided. Sony should stay focused on finding new technology to improve its current game console to please its current target market. This market has been following Sony since its birth and should be Sony’s priority. Rushing into a larger market could damage Sony even more. The Video Game industry is definitely an attractive business for So ny, but Sony should be aware of its competitors and keep its product high quality.

The Dare

My head begins to ache as I lie back thinking about how I got here, the lumps in this uncomfortable bed dig into my back. I wonder how I can possibly manage to think with these various machines that bleep continuously and kindly faces that keep coming to check my temperature and whatever else they need. They keep asking â€Å"Are you alright, duck?† I mean seriously, do I look like I'm alright? I'm covered in cuts and bruises and from what I've heard the doctors telling my anxious parents they are not going to be able to reattach my severed leg to the chaos of tangled nerves and muscle in the bloody stump just above my left knee. I begin to rock slowly back and forwards in silent reaction to the ache radiating from my stump and the memory of that night comes slowly back to me. ***** It was a fairly inconsequential day in the middle of the long, lingering summer holidays when the accident happened; we were all really bored and could not think of anything remotely interesting to do that we hadn't done at least a hundred times already, finally after about an hour of turning down bad ideas and sitting thinking in a frustrating silence for something that wouldn't be sneered at, someone suggested we play dares. Everyone appeared to be pleased with that idea so that is what we decided to do, but even then I had my doubts because I knew what my friends where like and I don't want to sound boring but I didn't particularly want to put me or others in danger with the kind of dares I knew my friends would come up with. It started off fairly innocently with people being dared to do silly little childish things like knocking on people's doors and running away, flashing your bum out of the window and a range of others like that, you know the sort. Until someone, no doubt thinking they were being grown up and funny, dared Georgia to jump off the balcony. She was obviously smarter than we gave her credit for because she refused blankly, saying that it was dangerous and we'd get ourselves killed, but we all ignored her and told her that if she didn't like what we were doing to shut up and go away. Looking back I wish I had taken her advice and left with her. Anyway our group began to run out of ideas so we decided to walk around looking for inspiration for the next dare which would be mine. We ambled around the nearby areas and came across a bridge over a road that was busy in the rush hour but mostly unused by cars at night and Laura squealed the fatal words â€Å"I've thought of an amazing dare†. My stomach turned as the rest of the group discussed the details of my dare and a little voice in my head repeated Georgia's warning from earlier â€Å"You're going to get yourselves killed†. I know what your thinking, voices in my head I must be clinically insane, but it must have been my conscience or something like that. Whatever it was I should have taken more notice. My friends told me after about five minutes of deciding, what my dare would entail; I was to jump off the bridge when it got dark and in the small likelihood of a vehicle passing under it I was to try and avoid being hit. To them it all seemed so simple; someone would stand underneath to tell me when the road was clear and then I would jump, but the nagging voice in my brain wouldn't cease. Yet I didn't want to voice my concerns and appear a coward, so I just nodded and arranged to meet them there later. I don't know how I managed to talk myself into turning up at the bridge that night or how I forced my self to laugh as I looked down from the ledge I was standing on and prepared to jump but somehow I did. My legs shook as I waited for the signal to jump. I tried to ignore the voice echoing in my brain, but I couldn't back down now. My pride wouldn't let me. My friend called up to me â€Å"It's all clear now. Jump† so I closed my eyes, held my breath and leapt off the ledge. I felt myself falling quickly like a stone for what seemed like ages. I opened my eyes and screamed. Blurred colours flashed past me. Coming towards me I saw a blinding, bright light steadily speeding towards me. The sound of an engine reached my ears. My heart raced as I saw in slow motion what was going to happen to me. It came closer and closer not slowing. â€Å"Can't they see me, can't they stop?† I thought, â€Å"If they don't slow down they're going to hit me†. My life flashed before my eyes and my heart pounded like a thousand drums. The last thing I thought before I felt myself finally hit something was; â€Å"Oh my god I'm going to die† I came around and I was almost blinded by the bright lights that surrounded me and was vaguely aware of what sounded like people screaming. As my eyes slowly came into focus I looked around me and my so called ‘friends' were nowhere to be seen†¦. I suddenly felt an excruciating pain coming from my left thigh. I stared dazed for a moment at the torrent of blood gushing from my leg and the distorted mess ten feet away that used to be the other part of it. I went into shock and passed out. Hours later I awoke in the hospital with my worried family beside me and the doctors filled me in on what had happened; as I had jumped from the bridge a car had been heading towards me from underneath it. Just before I hit the road I bounced off the bonnet of the car and which couldn't stop in time and ran over me causing my leg to get caught up in the wheel of the car and dragged along the road, which caused the bone to snap and break away from my body leaving me lying bleeding on the road behind it. When the ambulances arrived there had been no sign of my ‘friends'. ***** So that's where I am now, sitting in my hospital bed and contemplating what would have happened if I had just listened to myself and not let my pride take over. But that's what happens when you take on stupid dares.

Should we place condom machines on campus in the resident halls Essay

Should we place condom machines on campus in the resident halls - Essay Example College should be just as life is i.e. a matter of survival of the fittest. The best students will rise above the temptation to go out and party on Saturday night where there is an exam on Monday morning. The ones who do not and fall to the temptations that life has to offer will suffer accordingly. It is a simple matter to consider college to be a test for real life and putting condom machines in the residence hall may only serve as a part of the test. Of course, there is also a positive side to placing condoms in residence halls. The likelihood of students falling behind in class due to being absent as they treat any STDs or unwanted pregnancies is certainly reduced. Easy access to condoms would mean that prevention from such accidents could be provided to the individuals who engage in risky behavior. Thus, not only would the temptation be there for students to have sex and skip class and thus weed out those students who would rather not be at class, the issue of students missing class due to their sex life would also be largely eliminated. Undoubtedly, the moral brigade and religious fanatics might be up in arms about providing easy access to condoms for students. They may even suggest the course of advising students to ‘abstain’ and try to show that abstinence is the right way to go to prevent any problems but the reality of the matter is quite different. No matter what is said and done, students are going to have sex in college much as they have had sex since the first universities were formed. To try and prevent this simply by giving them lectures on abstinence or by removing their access to condoms is a fantastical idea. What can be done should be done and in this case, it simply becomes a matter of commonsense to encourage students to use condoms. It must be remembered that students are not being encourage to make their dorm rooms a scene from a Roman orgy but only to practice safe sex if and when they have it. To take away

Discourse community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discourse community - Essay Example There is a certain universality in the language that transcends national boundaries and specific dialects. It is a language that is used very strongly in social exclusion which also implies a strong bond for those who benefit from the reverse which is inclusion. Discourse within the military organization can be regarded as the formalized way of thinking about important matters related to war, discipline, hierarchy, loyalty, courage and love of country that has been manifested through specialized language its members know of. Military discourse is designed exclusively to maintain cohesion within the organization but quite often, the discourse also affects other sectors of society. In this paper, I will talk about the different and unique aspects of military discourse with regard to certain matters in life. Obedience – military discourse does not discount the possibility of confrontation. In fact, military men are trained in the art of war and are expected to resolve issues by force if necessary. However, much of military discourse, especially those used during their training, is geared towards obedience and respect for authority. The reason for this is quite obvious which is to maintain the rigid hierarchical structure in a military organization. The need to maintain a strict discipline is the reason for using this discourse (Bartle & Heinecken 81). Discipline is the backbone by which the hierarchy is being reinforced daily through total obedience. Exclusion – due to the very nature of their task which is to defend the country against external threats, the military by tradition, necessity and practice is discriminatory. What this means is that the military leadership uses language and policies to exclude some groups or individuals which it deems as unfit to render military service. These groups can include homosexuals, transsexuals, so-called conscientious objectors who resist the draft, convicted felons, handicapped people and persons who do

The Dilemma That Exists Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dilemma That Exists - Case Study Example On the other hand, the psychological approach is that behaviorism principles be applied to help the child learn to distinguish right and wrong behavior by rewarding the child’s positive behaviors (Bailey and Burch, 2013). While it is right to reward a child’s behavior, it is more appropriate if the child learns to take up their responsibilities without necessarily expecting a reward. The dilemma that exists is that there is a conflict on whether to use the Matt’s mother’s intuition or to apply a psychological approach in helping the child to appreciate their duty of doing homework or even using respectful language. According to McNamara’s decision making model, if there exists a situational dilemma it is important to identify the basis of the conflict while choosing the right path to take on the situation (McNamara, 2008). The Basis of the Conflict A keen look at the scenario shows that there exists a conflict of interest between Matt’s mothe r and the welfare of the child in the child orientation program. The mothers wish is that the child learns to respect people, do its homework and doing his chores in the same manner that she learnt without necessarily receiving tokens for doing what they are supposed to do.

Accounting for Decision Makers -Discussion Question Assignment - 2

Accounting for Decision Makers -Discussion Question - Assignment Example The decision to further process a product after the split-off point invites further costs and revenues known as the incremental costs and revenues (Sell-or-process-further decision, 2013). Management accountants can support the decision to process further only if it generates more revenue than costs. Based on the case of the Port Allen Chemical company, raw material D is used in the production of products E and F. Based on the case, $ 100 is the cost of converting 100 liters into 60 liters and 40 liters of products E and F respectively. Therefore, the cost of producing 60 liters of product E = (60/100)*100 = $ 60, while the cost of producing 40 liters of product F = (40/100)*100 = $ 40. Product F can be sold at $ 6 or can be further processed at an additional cost of $5/liter and can be sold for $ 13/liter. Based on the information, the incremental revenue per liter = (13 – 6) = $ 7. The approach of the analysis is incremental costs as done below (Hartgraves & Morse, 2015). Based on the above table, the decision to process product F further generates more revenue than the cost incurred ($ 80). The incremental approach states that when the difference between the incremental revenue and incremental cost is positive, the process further decision should be implemented. Otherwise, the decision to sell is suitable (Hartgraves & Morse, 2015). Therefore, Port Allen Chemical Company should further process product

Film Remakes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Film Remakes - Essay Example Film remaking is both an elastic concept and complex situation especially because the interrelated roles and practices of the industry, critics, and audiences both enable and limit it, thus, to try and understand film remakes, it has been broken down into three major tiers. The first tier deals with remaking as industrial category (Verevis 2006, p.3), which entails issues such as production, including commerce and authors; the second tier is remaking as textual category, and it deals with the genre, plots, and structures. The third and final tier is that of remaking as critical category, which investigates issues of reception, including audiences and institutions; the film remake emerges as a case of repetition, a function of the cinematic discursive fields that is maintained by specific practices in history. For instance, some of the historical practices that actively maintain the concept of film remakes include but are not limited to things such as copyright law and authorship, can on formation and media literacy, in addition to film criticism and reviewing. In that case, the concept of film remaking is a common feature in the history of cinema and it entails a number of technological, textual, and cultural practices; however, film remake has since then been maintained as a separate phenomenon, yet connected. This paper seeks to address some of the crucial pertinent issues surrounding the concept of remaking, while trying to explore a broad theoretical approach that provides both an understanding of the concept of cinematic remaking, and individual film remakes in the contemporary times. Introduction For many years, the cinema has been repeating and replaying its own narratives and genres from the beginnings of time yet film remaking has hardly received any critical attention worth noticing especially because most of the pertinent questions surrounding this concept remain unexplored in film studies. For instance, some of the questions that have seldom been ask ed in film studies concern what film remaking really is, which films that are remakes of other films, how film remaking differs from other types of repetition such a quotation allusion, and adaptation, in addition to, the relationship between remakes and other commercial forms such as sequels, cycles, and series. Apart from these, other pertinent questions that need to be explored in film studies regarding film remakes concern how film remaking differs from the cinema’s more general ability to repeat and replay the same film as many times as possible through re-issue and redistribution. Additionally, film studies might also want to consider the interesting question of how film remaking differs from the way every film is remade- dispersed and transformed- in its varied contexts and reviewing; these and much more are some of the crucial questions that are hardly asked and answered in film studies. There exists several accounts of cinematic remaking, and most of them have provid ed different versions of definitions of film remakes, as new versions of existing films, and as films that to some substantial degree strike as being related to either one or several previous movies. Film remaking is not just about the simplistic cultural knowledge of the existence of, and nature of film remakes because when understood alongside the much broader concept of intertextuality, it can refer to the never-ending and fluid possibilities given forth by the discursive practices of a film culture. Ideally, the remake is distinguished not by the fact of its being a repetition, but by the fact of its being a typical institutional form of the structure of repetition†¦the citationality or iterability, that exists in and for every film† (Verevis 2006, p.1). Just like in the case of the

Discussion about the strengths of Israeli society circa 1960 with Essay

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Architecture and Avant-garde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Architecture and Avant-garde - Essay Example As acknowledged within the abstract section, Avant Garde is the French version for vanguard culture. In the context of art, vanguard culture refers to non-conformational and experimental approach of developing objects of art like music, structures and paintings. Dorita (2013) says that Avant Garde is distinct from traditional art of 19th Century because it employs substantial innovation and advanced skills in developing iconic pieces of art. This form of culture became dominant during the first four decades of 20th Century, especially in Europe and America. In operation, vanguard culture opposed mainstream norms. It labeled mainstream values as resulting from mass production effects of industrial revolution during the 19th Century. Early founders of Avant Garde criticized the manner in which traditional art and architecture incorporated superficial styling of objects in the name of innovation. In this regard, it sought to distance itself from mainstream habits and foster individual c reativity. It involved seeking autonomous excellence in artistic merit rather than following rigid conventions. Having gained an insight about Avant Garde, it is appropriate to extrapolate on the two concepts of modernism and postmodernism. Sharp (2002) says that most essayists including Max Horkheimer and Adorno assert that vanguard culture serves as an icon for modernism. According to Sharp (2002), autonomy in stylish creativity and innovation creates a distinction and draws boundaries between modernism and the post form. of modernism. In this context, modernism covers the artistic period of early 20th Century, especially the first four decades of this century. According to Heynen (2000), it was a period marked by employment of human intellect in enhancing aesthetical values of art. Innovations and autonomous creativity of modernism led to significant improvement in science and technology. In addition, vanguard ideologies motivated experimentation on almost all spheres of life as seen in architecture. It adopted a hierarchical and procedural approach of acquiring and applying knowledge in improving state of art. According to Heynen (2000), modernism is closely associated with the use of rational thinking models and logic in gaining and utilizing knowledge. Supposedly, modernism ended after 1945, thus giving way to postmodernism. Postmodernism Goldhagen (2005) says that as opposed to modernistic principles of logic and rational thinking, postmodernism adopts unscientific and irrational approach towards art. In the first four decades of 20th Century, architectural designs were taken as representing unique and genuine creativity of artists. However, postmodernism does not regard the work of architecture as the originating from authentic skills of an individual. According to Scoffham and Machedon (1999), postmodern era is marked by subjective and hyper-realistic models of thought as opposed to rigid and logical